Christmas and the Qur'an
Alia Yunis
Karl-Josef Kuschel
2017, Gingko Library, 978-1-90994-208-0, $44.95 hb.
Originally published in German in 2008, this comparative study of Mary, Jesus and John the Baptist in the Bible and Qur’an is also the author’s call for continued dialog between Christianity and Islam. It focuses on what the two faiths share, advocating that a love of Jesus and Mary is one such commonality. Kuschel, a Catholic theologian, opens with a comparison of the different Christian gospels, particularly Mathew and Luke, about the birth of Jesus, going on to discuss how the role of Mary is both similar and different in the Bible and Qur’an. Written in simple language, this is an easily accessible and insightful comparison of the two religions, particularly for those familiar with only Christianity or Islam.
You may also be interested in...
The Alhambra at the Crossroads of History—Our Book Review
The Alhambra at the Crossroads of History shows how the 13th-century Andalusi palace complex in Granada, modern Spain, generates often conflicting meanings at the same time—meanings actively constructed and sometimes misread. Edhem Eldem, an Istanbul-based history professor, traces its role in shaping social and cultural identities across imperial Europe, Arab North Africa and Ottoman Türkiye from the 18th to the early 20th centuries.
Ottoman Origins, European Echoes
A bold reframing of how Ottoman governance shaped European ideals before Europe claimed them.